A disagreeable aspect of a patient's stay in a hospital is the use of a hospital bed pan. A bed pan is difficult to sit on, is unstable, is not large enough, and is different from a commode seat which the patient is accustomed to using. Physicians, nurses, and patients generally agree that there is a need for a bed pan that is more comfortable and acceptable. Rather than try to use the hospital bed pan, many patients, against doctor's orders, attempt to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. This is a dangerous practice and has been the cause of patient accidents and setbacks. Accordingly, there is a need for a simple, practical, and relatively inexpensive way to simulate a commode to which the patient is accustomed to using in his own home without the need for the patient to leave a bed. Also, there is a need to make the waste disposal procedure as simple and convenient as possible for the hospital nurses.